The general idea, Perplexity says, is that the incentive structure — and the fundamental economy of the web — is getting outdated by AI companions.
Meets «modern demand»
Comet Plus will be the first business model to reflect «modern demands» from internet users, they write, and they include the likes of Time and Fortune as part of their publisher roster.
Many publishers, like The New York Times, are blocking their crawlers, however — and they have instead turned to onerous tactics to scan for content anyway. This includes obfuscating and changing IP numbers to get around restrictions.
The Wall Street Journal writes that the amount available for publishers through Comet Plus will be about $42 million, and it will expand over time — as the subscription grows.
The reason for this high number is that Comet Plus will be included in their Pro and Max plans.
Less than the papers charge
Engadget points out that many newspapers charge around $20 to $30 per month for access, and that a portion of $5 is a pittance in comparison.
Still, it’s an early attempt to offset some of the losses that AI would cost publishers, while Pew estimates that less than one percent of users presented with AI summary on Google actually click on from there, and there is no compensation from use by other, larger, AI labs, either.
Read more: Perplexity launch page, writeups at The Wall Street Journal and Engadget.